


Somthing about Ryuuko

by Simple_Guy



Category: Kill la Kill (Anime & Manga)
Genre: Alcohol, Alternate Universe - Normal High School, Drug Use, F/F, Implied/Referenced Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Marijuana, Motorcycles, No Incest, Slow Burn, Swearing
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-04-12
Updated: 2019-06-09
Packaged: 2020-01-12 03:10:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 9,902
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18437810
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Simple_Guy/pseuds/Simple_Guy
Summary: All in all, Satsuki Kiryuuin has it pretty good. The position of student council president at Honnouji high school, an excellent group of friends and advisors, and a fairly normal life, despite being the daughter of an eccentric, multi-billionaire mother. So life is alright. No crushes, no drama, and certainly no attractive transfer student with a guitar case and a bitchin' motorcycle showing up at the school, right?Right?Just your standard high school AU, nothing to see here. Tags will be updated as the story progresses. There's probably gonna be some side plots/pairings, I'll try to update regularly, idk how long this is gonna go for, blah blah blah.





	1. Drop the Anchor

_**SCREEECH!!!** _

Nui's bright pink street bike skidded along the pavement of the Honnouji Academy parking lot, burning a good bit of rubber off of it's tires before coming to a stop. She grinned. "PLEASE tell me you got that one on video, Maiko." Maiko grinned right back.

"You're damn right I got that on video. Jesus Christ, that was fucking cool." She gestured to the the rest of Nui's posse, all of whom were standing decidedly further away from the impromptu stunt area than Maiko. While they did value their popularity on Instagram, they valued their lives a lot more, and Nui wasn't exactly the most cautious when It came to preserving the health and safety of others. Maiko, however, wasn't exactly the most cautious when it came to persevering the health and safety of anyone, including herself. Because of her complete lack of self-preservation, she ended up being the main source of action replays for the group. Certainly, she was providing the one they were watching as they huddled around her phone, their matching pink leather jackets with " _The Seamstresses"_ embroidered on the back brushing against each other, as they jostled for a better view.

"Holy shit, listen to that screech."

"That was fucking metal, Nui."

"Look how long she goes for! That was like what, 12 meters?"

"I'd say at least 14. At LEAST."

"Move over, will ya? I can't see shit."

"Well, we'd all be able to watch it on our own phones if Maiko would just put it in the group chat."

Maiko turned and glared at her accuser. "The last time I did that, every single one of you posted it to your Instagram pages. It's my video, so it's my internet fame, got it?"

"Then post it already, you diva."

Maiko grumbled. "I was just about to, jeez." Seriously, people are so ungrateful. You put yourself In the line of fire to try and get a cool video, and all you hear is a bunch of girls that didn't have the ovaries to step up to the plate complaining about how they can't see the screen.

Meanwhile, a contingent of 3 girls went to examine the skid marks, where they confirmed that Nui had, in fact, skid 14 meters at LEAST. They also discovered that the marks were still hot, as one of them, rather foolishly, put her finger on blackened asphalt, before quickly pulling away and exclaiming that the marks were "literally hotter as Sanageyama that time he wore a Speedo for that Tri-City swim meet in Osaka."

As the rest of the girls tittered about Sanageyama's abs, Maiko strode over to Nui, who was still astride her bike, looking rather smug. "Totally fucking cool. I'm gonna get SO many likes for that one."

Nui giggled, then turned away, feigning embarrassment. "Aw gee, Maiko, you sure know how to make a girl blush!" She glanced over at the skid mark, which had largely been forgotten by the rest of the girls in favor of a conversation about Uzu's ass. She sighed. "The only bad part is that Mr. Meanie-Pants Is gonna get all prissy about it."

Maiko looked over her shoulder, only to see a very angry looking head of discipline stomping towards them. "Speak of the devil," She groaned. "It's like he can sense when you're trying to have fun."

"NUI HARIME." Gamagori half shouted her name, clearly trying to maintain a certain level of politeness, and generally failing. The rest of _The Seamstresses_ cut off a heated debate about what part of Sanageyama was the sexiest to turn to the sound of Gamagori's voice, watching as he finished closing the gap between himself and Nui.

Nui smiled up at the 210 pounds of muscle and poorly concealed anger towering over her. "Well hiya there, Gamagori! What can lil' old Nui help you with?"  She gave him her cutest wink.

"Miss Harime," Gamagori growled through clenched teeth, as he pointed at the offending skid mark. "What Is THAT?"

"Well, that's the parking lot, silly!" Nui giggled. "You know, students park their cars here? I'm surprised you don't know that at your age."

Gamagori's face turned a violent shade of red. "And what is ON the parking lot?"

Nui squinted. "Hmm. It looks like asphalt to me." Her posse snickered, clearly amused by the runaround she was giving Gamagori.

"AND WHAT," Gamagori roared, dropping any pretense of civility, "IS THAT LARGE BLACK MARK ON THE ASPHALT, MISS HARIME? THE ONE THAT I AM POINTING DIRECTLY AT RIGHT NOW?"

Nui cocked her head to the side. "Ohhh, that's what you were talking about! Well, I guess that's a skid mark."

"AND HOW DID IT GET THERE?" As the volume of his voice increased, a crowd of students began to gather, drawn by the desire to see some good old fashioned drama, and maybe a punch or two, if they were especially lucky.

"Gee, I dunno..." Nui placed her pointer finger over her lips and tapped them couple times, staring off into space as though she was thinking about it. "Maybe the Skid Mark Fairy brought it in the night?"

A vein in Gamagori's forehead bulged unpleasantly. "I FIND THAT EXPLANATION HIGHLY UNLIKELY! IN FACT, IT IS MY OPINION THAT YOU ARE LYING TO ME!" He was nearing the peak of his wrath, his face somehow becoming even redder. The gathering crowd had grown to at least 20 kids, although most of them had abandoned the hope that they might get to see someone get punched when they saw who was doing the shouting. Gamagori was a hard ass, and a total pain in the neck sometimes, but it was against the rules of Honnouji Academy to strike another student. And Gamagori **certainty** wasn't about to violate school policy.

"Oh? And why do you think that I'm lying? Do you not believe in fairies? I sort of figured you would, on account of the fact that you're not mature enough to know what a parking lot is." The assembled students laughed, which was more than enough to send Gamagori off the deep end. He had endured this humiliation long enough.

"THAT IS NOT THE REASON, MISS HARIME! THE REASON I BELIEVE YOU ARE LYING TO ME IS BECAUSE A VIDEO WAS POSTED ON INSTAGRAM, NOT ONE MINUTE AGO, CLEARLY DEPICTING YOU CREATING THAT SKID MARK!" He held up his phone, which looked comically tiny in his enormous hand. From the minuscule speakers, a small " _screeech_ " could be heard as the video played. His anger had reached it's peak. No longer would he put up with Nui's total disregard for the rules of this fine school. He would finally create some lasting consequences for her. He would break through the barrier of money and status that her father had surrounded her with. He would-

"Oh my god, Gamagori," Maiko gasped. "You follow me on Instagram?" She crossed her legs, and then uncrossed them, and then crossed them again. "Could it be that you like to look at all those pictures I post of me at the beach? In my swimsuit?" She put her hands on face, and turned away. "Do you think I'm pretty?" The gaggle of students, which had now swelled to around 50, all _Ooooohed_ loudly.

Of course, that was it. Maiko had seen an opening, and exploited it perfectly. Gamagori instantly shifted from abject fury to total embarrassment, his plans to finally teach Honnouji Academy's biggest troublemaker a lesson completely forgotten about as he tried to deny Maiko's claims.

"N-no, Miss Maiko, I am not interested in you romantically," he spluttered awkwardly. "As the head of discipline here at Honnouji Academy, it is my duty to make sure that all activities that our students engage in online are safe and sensible, and do not endanger our school in any way!"

"Sure, that's what they all say," Maiko responded. "Not like I'm complaining or anything. After all, if your dick is as big as the rest of you, well..." She trailed off suggestively. This remark produced an even louder round of _Ooooh_ _s_ , as well as a couple wolf whistles.

Gamagori looked like he might die of embarrassment. "Again, Miss Maiko, I am not interested in you romantically. And please, refrain from using such vulgar language in public!" God, and it was only 7:42. It was going to be a very long day.

Nui chuckled. "Well, at least you aren't using that annoying Caps Lock anymore. A girl can only read so much of that before her eyes start to hurt!"

Gamagori refocused his attentions on Nui. "In any case, Miss Harime, you have committed a serious offense! In cannot go unpunished!" He glared at her.

Nui smiled back. "Of course it can go unpunished, you big goof. My dad is this school's biggest source of donations, in case you forgot." She shook her head with pity. "He'll pay to get rid of that little mark, and I'll go on having fun, and you'll go on being a wet blanket." She was right, of course. She was completely untouchable, and she knew it.

Gamagori wasn't quite ready to give up, though. "That may be so. However, your father is not here right now, and there are certain actions I can take right now!" He thrust his hand into his shirt pocket, before pulling out a small brown book. "Right here, in the official Honnouji Academy rulebook, on page 37, it says 'Any action that can be considered dangerous or unlawful, taken by students on school grounds in any motor vehicle, can result in impoundment of said motor vehicle by the school for a maximum of 24 hours, provided there is ample proof.' " He violently slammed the book shut. "That action you just took was most certainly dangerous, it occurred on school grounds, and it has plenty of documentation to support it.  As a result, your motorcycle is officially impounded!"

"You know, that doesn't sound totally legal," Nui said. "I'm pretty sure that you can't just take stuff from other people. That would be super mean!"

"It is completely legal, Miss Harime! It is a health and safety hazard, just like a firearm, or drugs and alcohol. Furthermore, the PTA fully supports this version of the rule book!" He had done it. Sure, the consequences wouldn't last for more than a day, but at least it was something. Better yet, her father couldn't raise a fuss-after all, he was the head of the PTA, and had spoken strongly in favor the current rules. "Any explanations will fall on deaf ears! Now, dismount your motorcycle."

Nui sighed. "Gosh, Gamagori, you sure like to do things the hard way, huh?" Quick as a wink, she twisted the throttle, blasting off across the parking lot before he could react. "If you want to impound me, you'll have to catch me first," she shouted over her shoulder, as she flew past the walls of the school.

"MISS HARIME, RETURN HERE AT ONCE!" Gamagori's rage had returned in full force, and then some. "COMPLY IMMEDIATELY! FAILURE TO DO SO MAY RESULT IN A SUSPENSION PERIOD!"

"Gee, don't you ever get tired of all that shouting, Gamagori?"

* * *

Through the floor to celling window of the student council office, Satsuki watched as Gamagori continued to bellow at Nui about the consequences that would befall her if she didn't stop right this instant, while Nui continued to zip around the parking lot, laughing like a madwoman. She reached for the Walkie Talkie that she kept clipped to her shirt pocket.

"That's enough, Gamagori."

He instantly stopped shouting, turning around before looking incredulously up at her before pulling out his own Walkie Talkie to respond.

"But Miss Satsuki," He said, his voice slightly distorted by the cheap communication device. "She is within our grasp! We can finally impose consequences on her for once! Please just allow me to-"

"That's **enough** , Ira." She frowned down at him. "It isn't worth it, and you know it. Just let it go."

A pause. Then: "Very well, Miss Student Council President." He looked extremely dejected.

"Forget about her, and tell that crowd of students to get to class. It's 7:47 now, so the late bell will ring in a mere 3 minutes. Then go wait by the main entrance. We have a transfer student coming today, and she was instructed to show up at around 8:00. It's your duty to escort her to the office, so that we may welcome her to the school properly."

"Of course." He perked up slightly, clearly excited to be of use to Honnouji Academy. "I will be honored to be the first to greet this transfer student."

 He spun back around to the crowd of students, shouting at them about the importance of being on time to class. They scattered, heading off to their respective classes as Nui pulled into her usual parking spot, satisfied that any threat that Gamagori posed had vanished. She skipped past him on her way inside, ignoring his ferocious glare.

 Satsuki turned away from the window, settling back down at her desk. She grabbed her Thermos from her backpack, taking a quick sip of tea before turning to Inumuta, who was deeply engrossed in a game of "osu!" His fingers hammered furiously against the keys as he flicked his mouse about, clearly going for a flawless run. "Inumuta."

"Mmm?" His eyes stayed focused on the screen. "What is it, Miss Satsuki?"

"Will Jakuzure and Sanageyama be here?" The late bell rang, punctuating her words.

The map he was playing on finished. He didn't say, but judging from the ghost of a smile on his face, Satsuki could tell he had been successful. "They said they would be here." He closed his laptop. "I know we've talked about this before, but I think you should take Nui's antics more seriously."

Satsuki raised an eyebrow. "We have also talked about how her parents are quite rich, and have given a great deal of money to this school." She took another sip of tea. "So long as she can be reasonably contained, it is hardly worth the effort to try and remove her."

Inumuta was about to make a comment about how a certain someone's mother was much richer than Nui's parents could ever hope to be, but at that moment the student head of athletics burst in, breathless.

"Sorry I'm late, Satsuki." He panted. "I really should've left the McDonald's sooner."

Satsuki checked her watch. 7:55. "You are on time, Sanageyama," she replied. "Did Inumuta tell you that you had be here at 7:50?"

"Yeah."

She smiled indulgently. "Clearly, that was a wise descision."

"Also, can we talk about the whole 'McDonald's for breakfast' thing? Seriously," Jakuzure said, as she strolled in. "Are you such a slob that you can't even be bothered to make some toast like a normal human being?"

"Bite me, half pint."

Satsuki took another look at her watch. "It's already 7:58, so she should be arriving at any moment." She looked over to the bickering pair. "Please try to behave yourselves during our introductions."

Sanageyama rolled his eyes. "I'll behave if she behaves." He stared out the window. "So what do we know about this chick, anyway?"

"Not much," Inumuta supplied. "From her record, It looks like she's moved around a lot, so there isn't a great deal of information about her. All I really know is that she's a junior. I don't even know what she looks like." As he spoke, the distinct purr of a motorcycle could be hear, slowly increasing in volume as it got closer. The four of them focused their attention on the parking lot, as a black motorcycle pulled through the opening of circular school, slowing cursing into the parking lot.

* * *

Ryuuko slowly tooled through the parking lot, eventually pulling into an available spot. She turned the bike off, put the kickstand down, and dismounted the motorcycle. She looked up at the massive walls of the school that surrounded her.

"So this is Honnouji Academy, huh?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bully me in the comments lol


	2. Welcome to Paradise

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh boy, chapter 2  
> so excitingggggggg except not exciting at allllllllll

"What a fucking edgelord."

"Jakuzure, I believe I asked you to behave." Although Satsuki did find Jakuzure's analysis of the transfer student to be more or less correct, she wasn't about to say so.

"But it's true," Jakuzure said, with a slight air of incredulity. "Look at her. Short hair with a red streak, a black motorcycle with 'Fresh Blood' written on the side, leather jacket, a pissed-off look that's probably permanent, and no backpack, because I guess she's just too cool for one." She frowned. "And what the fuck is up with that guitar case? Why? Why does she just have that?"

"Probably to carry her guitar."

"Very astute observation, Wonder-Jock. Let me know if you have any other profound thoughts."

"Hmm." Inumuta readjusted his glasses. "Let's hope she doesn't join Nui's gang. She does have a motorcycle, after all."

"Are you kidding?" Jakuzure rounded on him. "She's way to edgy for Nui to even consider letting her join the gang. They're all pretty and pink, and she's all pissed-off and punk."

Satsuki coughed pointedly. The three turned to face her, giving their undivided attention. "Whatever your judgements, please refrain from voicing them while we are meeting her. We are striving to create a welcoming environment for all students, are we not?"

"Yes," they responded in unison, as Ryuuko began to trudge towards the entrance, guitar case and all.

* * *

The first thing that Ryuuko noticed as she walked towards the greenish glass doors that served as the front entrance to Honnouji Academy was the 6'7" mass of muscle staring intently at her. As she got closer, she noticed that his ears were pierced, contrasting against his otherwise serious appearance. _Jeez, I hope this guy isn't looking for a fight. Dad would fucking kill me if i got into a fight on my first day here-assuming he could drag his drunk ass off the couch._

"Pardon me, but are you the transfer student that was supposed to arrive today?"

His voice snapped Ryuuko out of her thoughts. "Yeah, that's me. Why?"

He cleared his throat. "Then please, allow me to introduce myself. I am Ira Gamagori, head of the disciplinary committee. It is my personal privilege to welcome you to this fine school. " He extended a massive hand.

Ryuuko grabbed it and shook, her apprehension subsiding. "Oh, cool. I'm Ryuuko Matoi, but you probably already knew that." Damn, and she had been so worried to. He seemed alright, albeit kinda serious.

"I did not know that." He opened the door, gesturing for her to enter. "We were unable to track down any records of your attendance at any other schools. The school has absolutely no information about you."

"Yeah, that would make sense," Ryuuko said, as she walked through the door. "Most of my educational career has been a mix of boarding schools, homeschooling, and some career based programs. My dad moves around a lot for work." She paused. "Well, he used to move around a lot for work." She left out the part about how he had lost he job because he was a drunk. No sense in giving a bad impression on the first day, right?

"I see." He replied curtly. "So you will be staying here for a while, then?"

"Guess so."

"Well, please follow me. The rest of the student council is waiting for us." He took off walking at a brisk pace.

Ryuuko fell in behind him, struggling to match his speed. While he wasn't going incredibly fast, his size benefited him, and each of his strides was at least 2 of hers. By the time they got to the office on the third floor, she had worked up a bit of a sweat.

"After you." He reached for the door.

"You're real chivalrous, anyone ever tell you that?"

He paused, clearly taken aback. "I was merely attempting to be helpful, as it is my duty as the head of the disciplinary committee to assist all students in their daily activities." He looked somewhat embarrassed. "I apologize if I offended you, I have no doubt you are capable of opening doors on your own."

Ryuuko rolled her eyes. "Chill dude, it was a compliment."

"Oh." His face flushed, and he quickly swung the door open. "Miss Satsuki, I have brought her, as requested."

 "Thank you, Gamagori." A young woman with long black hair sat at her desk, a very businesslike expression gracing her face. She fixed her eyes on Ryuuko. "Welcome to Honnouji Academy. I am Satsuki, the student council president."

"Sup. I'm Ryuuko Matoi." Despite her casual greeting, Ryuuko couldn't help but feel a bit unnerved. Satsuki looked like she was trying to bore a hole through Ryuuko's head with her eyes, Gamagori was standing behind her like a more intimidating version of Hannibal Buress, and to top it all off, there were three other people with very colorful hair  staring at her, though not nearly as intently as Satsuki. "So...why am I here?"

"Introductions, of course!" The green haired one blurted. "I'm Uzu Sanageyama, the student head of athletics. I'm in charge of anything sports related. I'm also the coolest guy here. Tell me," he said excitedly, "do you play any sports, Matoi? We've got a great girls tennis team."

Ryuuko considered the question for a moment. "No, I'm not into any organized sports. Although I sometimes do some unofficial MMA style stuff."

"Ah," Sanageyama replied. "I see." He was well aware that "I sometimes do unofficial MMA style stuff" was probably just another way to say "I sometimes get into fights," but he thought that it might be a bit rude to point that out.

 "Well, if you're looking to put that guitar to use, you might want to talk me. Nonon Jakuzure," said the short pink haired girl, nodding in Ryuuko's direction. "I'm the student head of non-athletic activities."

"I don't actually have my guitar with me right now," Ryuuko responded.

Nonon looked at her, clearly confused. "Then why are you carrying a...you know what, nevermind." _I fucking knew she was a goddam edgelord._

"And what about you? What are you in charge of?" Ryuuko looked over at the scrawny guy with glasses, hunched over his computer, typing furiously.

"Houka Inumuta. Student head of technology and information," he said, still hammering away at the keys.

"Right." She glanced over at Satsuki, who was still staring at her. God, this was so uncomfortable. Why couldn't she just show up and suffer through school without all the fanfare and shit? "Well, I guess that's all the introductions, so I should probably just go to class or whatever." Not that she knew where any of her classes were, or even what they were.

"Hold on, Miss Matoi." Satsuki rose from her chair. "There are a couple more things we would like to talk to you about. First, we need some information from you." She grabbed a stack of papers off her desk, and walked over to Ryuuko. "Here," Satsuki said, handing her the papers. "Please fill these out and return them to the business office in one week."

Ryuuko groaned. She'd walked in only 5 minutes ago, and they were already giving her homework. "Seriously? I don't even know were the business office is."

Satsuki ignored her bad attitude. "I would not expect you to know where the business office is. Which conveniently brings us to the next thing I would like to talk to you about." She looked over at Gamagori expectantly. He looked back at her nervously.

"Well, as head of the discipline, one of my duties is to make sure all students have a way to learn their way around the school, as well as a way to get to know the other students of the school. Therefore, you will have a "buddy" give you a tour of the school." He looked at the door, then back to Satsuki, clearly ashamed. "Forgive me, Miss President, Miss Matoi's buddy should have been here by now. I take full responsibility."

As if on cue, a small, brown haired girl burst through the door. "Sorry I'm late! I was-WOAH!!!" She tripped over her shoelaces, face planting into the floor.

"Are you alright, Miss Mankanshoku?"

"I'm okay!" Almost instantly, she bounced back up. "Mankanshoku girls don't go down easy, that's what my dad always says! Sometimes, though, he says that they do go down easy, but I think the context is different or something." She noticed Ryuuko. "Are you the person I'm supposed to be buddies with?"

"Uh, yeah, I guess," Ryuuko said, taken aback by Mankanshoku's off-the-wall demeanor. "I'm Ryuuko Mat-"

"Hi Ryuuko! I'm so so so excited to meet you!" She shook Ryuuko's hand with a ridiculous amount of force. "I'm Mako Mankanshoku! But you can just call me Mako, okay?"

"O-okay." Good god, what had she gotten herself into?

"Can we go now, Gamagori? I wanna show her the tennis courts, and the theater, and the-"

"Did you remember the itinerary I gave you, Miss Mankanshoku?" He looked down at her sternly. "Those things you just mentioned are on there, but I am concerned that you may abandon the business related parts of the tour in favor of the extracurricular parts."

"I won't, I promise! Look," she suddenly stuck her hand in her bra, fishing around until she pulled out a crumpled scrap of paper. "I've got the itinterary right here!"

"It is pronounced itinerary-"

"So we can go, right? Please please please?"

Gamagori looked quite defeated, beaten down by the unstoppable tide of Mako's enthusiasm. "If Miss Satsuki has nothing else to say, then I see no issue." He looked at her. "Was there anything we forgot?"

"We haven't talked about her classes yet. Miss Matoi," Satsuki gestured to Mako. "Because you haven't had a chance to sign up for classes yet, you will be attending classes with Miss Mankanshoku, at least for the first week. If you find the rigor of the classes that she is taking to be inappropriate for you, then we can discuss moving you to easier or more rigorous classes, as the case may be." She turned to Mako, who was shaking with excitement. "Be sure to finish the tour by lunch time, Miss Mankanshoku."

 "Wait, don't I get any say in-EEK!" Ryuuko's thoughts were unfortunately cut short, as Mako grabbed her hand, yanking her towards the door.

"Leave it to me, Satsuki! I'll show Ryuuko the best tour she's ever had!" She threw open the door, leaping into the hallway, Ryuuko in tow. "Come on Ryuuko, there's not a moment to waste! If we don't get through the boring stuff as quickly as possible, I won't have time to show you all the cool stuff in the theater!" The door slammed shut, and as Ryuuko's objections and Mako's excited exclamations faded into the distance, everything was once again quiet in the student  office.

Satuki inhaled slowly, then exhaled. "Gamagori?"

"Yes, Miss Satsuki?"

"Why did you select Mankanshoku for this task? I have nothing against her personally, but..."

"I understand your concerns, Miss Satsuki, but rest assured, the method the disciplinary committee uses to select buddies is perfect. I have no doubt that Miss Mankanshoku will be a perfect buddy for Miss Matoi!"

He didn't mention that he was more concerned about getting Mako a friend then giving Ryuuko an adequate tour of the school. Somehow, though, he felt like Satsuki knew.

* * *

"Well, here's the lunchroom! I usually eat in the courtyard, though. And hey, look! It's almost lunch time, and the tour's all finished!" Mako grinned brightly at Ryuuko. "I guess my time management is pretty good, huh?"

"Uh, yeah, I guess." Ryuuko didn't mention that they had spent all of 15 minutes with the business related stuff, and most of the rest of the time with the extracurricular stuff. Not that she was complaining or anything. "Where do we get food, then?"

"Oh, I bring lunch from home. My mom makes mean croquettes!" She pointed at what looked like lunch lines. "But if you're buying food here, you can get it over there. Anyway, I'm gonna go out to the courtyard. Meet me out there, ok?"

"Ok, I will." She really meant that, to. While her first impressions of of this girl hadn't exactly been the most positive, Mako had grown on her. She often went on long, rambling trains of thought that went nowhere, and she was clumsy as fuck, but she was really nice. Plus, she seemed willing to be friends with Ryuuko, whose gruff and blunt personality often pushed people away. She watched as Mako headed out the door to the courtyard, just as the lunch bell rang. _Well, guess I'd better get my lunch._

"Lunch," as it turned out, was a pretty sorry show. A slice of pizza that was more akin to cardbord, some milk, and some baby carrots constituted the entire thing. Her lunch starkly contrasted with Mako's lunch, which was an enormous box packed to the brim with croquettes.

"Look at this shit, Mako, good god. How do they expect us to survive on this?" They were seated on a stone bench, Ryuuko watching enviously as Mako stuffed food in her mouth at an incredible rate.

"That's why I always bring food from home! You should probably ask your mom to make you a nice lunch too, okay?"

Ryuuko decided against telling Mako that her mom had died in a car crash when she was 3. She figured that might make the situation a kinda awkward. "Yeah, maybe I will. Hey," she said, trying to change the subject. "What do you think of the student council? Are they cool, or are they a bunch of assholes?"

"They're nice! Well, mostly. Jakuzure can be kinda mean sometimes. But other then that, they're fair at least. Satsuki is super serious about stuff, though." Mako stopped talking for a moment and looked around, as if to make sure that they weren't being listened in on. "They aren't who you have to worry about, though," she half-whispered.

"What? Who do I have to worry about, then? The principal?" They had met him very briefly on the tour, and he hadn't exactly seemed the most threatening. His slouching posture, shades, undone tie, and bored voice had made him seem like a fairly laid back guy.

"No, you don't have to be worried about Mr. Mikisugi, silly!" Mako giggled. "He's super relaxed. I think he probably smokes a lot of weed, you know?" Her expression turned serious. "You have to be worried about Nui Harime."

"Who?"

"Have you seen all those pink bikes in the parking lot?" She looked around once more, just for good measure. "Those bikes belong to Nui and her gang. They're real scary!" She shuddered.

"Nui Harime, huh? Why is she so scary?" She had seen the pink bikes, and hadn't exactly found them very intimidating.

"Cuz' she's crazy! So is her buddy Maiko Ogure. They put a kid in the hospital at the last school they went to!"

"Seriously?" That sounded unlikely to Ryuuko. "If that's true, why aren't they in jail or juvie or some shit?"

"It got covered up. Her parents are real rich, especially her dad." Mako shook her head. "She's totally untouchable."

"Rich girl. I got it." She stood up on the bench. "Hey Mako? You wanna see something cool?"

Mako brightened up. "Yeah! I'd never pass up a chance to see something cool!"

"Okay." She cupped her hands over her mouth. "HEY! I HAPPEN TO THINK NUI HARIME IS A TOTAL _BITCH!!!_ "

Mako's expression instantly went from excited and happy to panicked. "Ryuuko! What are you doing?" She dove into her clothes, trying to make herself as small as possible. "She might come beat us up!"

"Calm down, sheesh." Ryuuko gestured to their surroundings. "Do you see her around?"

"N-no-"

"So there's nothing to worry about, right?" She sat back down. "She's not a god, she can't hear everything."

Mako looked around once more. "Yeah, well, I guess you're right." She broke into a giggle. "That was pretty cool, though."

They talked and laughed until the 5 minute warning bell rang, and they had to rush to class. Well, Mako talked and laughed. Ryuuko talked and occasionally smiled very briefly.

The rest of the day passed pretty uneventfully. Unsurprisingly, Mako wasn't taking very rigorous classes, so Ryuuko had no trouble keeping up with the material, and the teachers seemed like fairly decent people, so that was a bonus. Of course, she only had 2 class periods after lunch, so it was entirely possible that the other 4 teachers could turn out to be total dicks. In any case, the bell finally rang, and they were free to go the fuck home and sleep.

"Wow, Ryuuko, you didn't tell me you had a motorcycle!" Mako was enamored with the jet-black sports bike. "It's so cool! It even has "Fresh Blood" written on the side! You gotta take me for a ride sometime!"

"Yeah, sure." Ryuuko didn't feel much like talking at that point. The day had been pretty draining, and she honestly wasn't really looking forward to what was waiting at home. "I guess I'll see ya, Mako." She hopped on _Senketsu_.

Mako, for her part, seemed unperturbed by Ryuuko's exhaustion. "See you tomorrow, buddy!" Suddenly, panic crossed her face. "Oh no! I was so excited about your bike, I forgot that I have to ride the bus home!" She checked the time on her phone. "And it leaves in just a minute! Mako's in a pinch!" She turned and sprinted in the opposite direction.

Ryuuko watched her go. "Good grief, is it even possible for her to end a sentence without an exclamation point?" She popped the kickstand, turned the ignition, and rode out of the parking lot.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> UHHHHHHHHH  
> i wanted this to be longer but i was lazy lol  
> Im planning on actually getting started on the main ship in the next chapter  
> "Oh wow good for you jackass you should have gotten started on it this chapter"  
> yeah i know, plz forgive me or dont idc


	3. The Cynical Mourning Hate Yourself Hit of the Winter

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fair warning, the dreaded C-word is in this chapter. (Although a girl says it, so that makes it ok, right? right?)  
> Also there are some drugs (Simple_Guy INC. does not condone or condemn the usage of herbal substances and/or alcohol.)

At 2:56, Ryuuko got home.

As she pulled _Senketsu_ into the run-down garage that connected to the run-down house that she and her father had recently moved into, she silently prayed to a god that she didn't believe in. _God? Dickhead? Are you there? Is me, Ryuuko. Look, I know we haven't really been in touch for the last 7 years or so, but could you help me out for once in my miserable life and make it so my dad isn't piss drunk when I walk in the door?_

No response, as per usual. God probably hated her. Hell, most other people did, and if they didn't, they probably would sooner or later. She sighed. It was whatever. Besides, it would probably take a lot more than divine intervention to get Isshin to stop drinking.

As she walked through the door, nearly tripping over the boxes that they hadn't unpacked yet, she heard the T.V. That was a good sign. It meant he probably wasn't passed out. "Dad! I'm home!"

"How was school?" Great. A response, and not a slurred one, which was a big bonus. She walked towards the sound of his voice, feeling upbeat.

"It was okay." She entered the living room, where a football game was playing on their T.V, which was sitting unsteadily on another box that they hadn't bothered to unpack. "How was your day?"

He was seated on the sofa, beer can in hand, staring mindlessly at the screen. "'Okay' sounds pretty vague. You didn't get get into any fights, did you?"

Ryuuko rolled her eyes. "Christ, dad, go easy on me. I just walked in the damn door, back from my first day at a new school, and you're asking me if I got in any fights. For fucks sake." She quickly counted the number of beers he'd had. 2 empty cans on the floor, plus the 1 in his hand made 3. Pretty dang good, especially since he started work the next day.

"Well? Did you?" He looked at her suspiciously. "You're being awfully defensive about it."

"No, I didn't."

"Good," he grunted. "Well, if you get you get hungry, there are some microwave burritos in the fridge."

"Alright." No sense in hanging around, not after making sure he wasn't lying unconscious in a puddle of his own urine. "I guess I'll just go work on my homework." That was a total lie, and they both knew it. Ryuuko wasn't the type to do her homework the night before. At best, she would wake up at 7 on the day it was due and do a half-assed job. At worst, she would just say "fuck it" and stay up playing video games or watching T.V. until 1 in the morning instead. All that aside, though, she hadn't actually been assigned any homework, other than those papers that she was supposed to have filled out in a week. So it was kind of like a double-lie.

 Isshin chose to ignore the double-lie, partially because he was grateful that Ryuuko didn't bust his balls about the beer, and partially because he didn't actually care. "Have fun."

"Will do." She left him and headed upstairs to her room. As she entered, she stopped and took a moment to drink it all in. Her new room was the one thing that she was excited about. When Isshin had worked as a scientist for the military, moving to a different city every year or so to help with various projects, she'd never had time to get established anywhere. So she never really had a proper room, just bedrooms that she happened to be sleeping in. Now, though, she could actually make her room her own.

She'd already unpacked most of her shit. Her old PC that still ran surprisingly well, her radio clock that doubled as a CD player, her bright red guitar, her CRT-TV that she'd found at a junkyard, her pile of CD's and VHS tapes, her last-gen game console, and her stack of dirty magazines that she hadn't bothered to hide. Isshin wasn't very likely to come poking around.

 _It's starting to look like home. All it needs now_   _is a_ _good coat of paint._ She was planning on painting the whole thing red and black. She needed the paint, though, which cost money. Which she didn't have much of. So for now, the walls would remain a sickly brown color.

She tossed her guitar case, which had served her surprisingly well as a backpack, into a corner of the room. She grabbed her guitar and flopped down on her bed , plucking out a few cords as she reflected on the events of the day.

"The Elite Four," Mako called them. She had explained to Ryuuko that the name came from _Pokemon._ They all had a lot social clout, and were in charge of the school's clubs. More importantly, though, they were in charge of the club budgets, so everyone underneath them would do pretty much anything to please their respective leader in order to get that sweet, sweet, funding. In short, each of them had hundreds of students at their beck and call. _It would probably be a good idea to try and not piss any of them off._

Satsuki was another matter altogether. She seemed so goddam serious about everything, and judging from what Mako had said, that was her permanent state of being. Ryuuko honestly couldn't relate. Her number one goal was just to get through high school with a 2.5 GPA, and go straight to automotive school. _I wonder what Satsuki wants to do after she finishes high school?_

And then there was Mako. Mako, who seemed genuinely interested in being friends with her. She was so different from anyone Ryuuko had met before. So crazy, so expressive, so off the walls. _I guess I'll have to see how this whole relationship pans out. It's been a while since I've been close with someone._

She leaned back, playing a few more cords. _I sure hope tomorrow turns out to be as good as today was._

* * *

At 3:27, Maiko was really fucking high.

It wasn't your standard chilled-out and relaxed high, either. It was a weirdly angry high, which could be attributed to her intense hatred for Ryuuko Matoi.

"Nui, listen to me," she said, managing to be loud and mumble at the same time. "I'm gonna fuckin' kill her, I swear to god. Who the hell does she think she is?" She took a hit. "Her first day here, and she yells about you being a bitch. I'm gonna fuckin' kill her," she repeated, taking her second puff before passing the joint to the girl that they were smoking with.

Normally, it would just be Nui and Maiko. Their smoking sessions were pretty exclusive, and they didn't usually let their underlings join them. But this particular underling had recently scored some good shit, which Maiko wasn't about to pass up. She also had enough sense to keep her mouth shut when her superiors were talking, which was a bonus.

She took a quick hit before passing it on to Nui. It went unsaid that Nui and Maiko were entitled to the lion's share of the weed.

Nui laughed. "Gosh Maiko, you're so cute when you get worked up!" She took a massive puff, exhaling the smoke out of her nostrils like a dragon.

Maiko glared at her. "Yeah, well, I'm about to be gorgeous if you don't start taking this more seriously. Our reputation is at stake here, and you don't seem to care, and it's freaking me the fuck out." She watched as Nui took another huge puff. That was the one thing about Nui that never ceased to amaze her. No matter how many drugs she put into her body, it never seemed to effect her in the slightest. She couldn't say the same for herself. She hadn't been lying about being freaked out, and the paranoia was starting to set in as well. She looked around nervously. "You think anyone's come by?"

Nui laughed again, this time even louder. "Of course not, sillypants! We're out in the middle of the woods, after all. Who would come out here?" She took yet another hit, a clear violation of Puff-Puff-Pass. "I'm not worried about the transfer student, because there isn't anything to worry about."

Maiko's jaw might as well have hit the floor. "What?"

"Maiko," Nui said, her voice patronizing. "Please listen to what I'm saying, okay? It's real rude not to." She tsked. "I said, 'I'm not worried about the transfer student, because there isn't anything to worry about.'"

"No, I heard what you said. I was more wondering WHY you said that. Christ." Maiko rubbed her eyes, which were redder then usual. "I'm way too high for this."

"Mmm." Nui handed the remainder of the joint to their smoking partner. "You can finish that off." The girl accepted the proffered drug paraphernalia, clearly grateful for a chance to get properly high.

"Look, Nui, PLEASE explain to me why you're acting so relaxed. I was being serious when I said it was freaking me out." Maiko looked like she was on the verge of a panic attack.

"I'll explain, don't worry your pretty little head." Nui stared up at the branches of the trees that surrounded them. "Have you met this transfer student?"

Maiko's expression changed from semi-panicked to confused. "Uh, no, I haven't."

"Neither have I. She doesn't know us, and we don't know her." Nui tapped her head. "Which means..."

Maiko struggled to voice her thoughts through the haze of the high. "Which means...She was just trying to be edgy or some shit?"

"Spot on! So, that means that..."

This time, Maiko responded much quicker. "As long as we don't bother her, she shouldn't bother us. Like a hornet or whatever."

"Yep!" Nui nodded brightly. "I'm impressed. You figured that out so quick!"

"But still, won't it be bad for our reputation if we let it slide?" Maiko looked nervous again. "I mean, we have a certain image to maintain."

"Ah. But did we let it slide, or was it simply beneath our notice?" Nui looked quite pleased with herself. "After all, we rule Honnoji Academy. What do we care if some doofus yells about me?"

Maiko considered this. "I guess that makes sense. But why not just beat her up? It would probably be easier than telling people that we don't care."

Nui's ever-present smile faltered, and she looked at the ground. "You're right, Maiko. I'd much rather pound that stinking fucking bitch into a pile of shit." Her smile had turned into a hateful sneer. "Fucking cunt thinks she can say that about me? I'd love nothing more than to rip out her womb and make her eat it." She started giggling, and then chuckling, then broke into full on maniacal laughter. "Can you imagine that," she gasped in between laughs. "Can you imagine how _funny_ that would be?"

 _Shit._ Maiko hadn't intended to send Nui into psycho mode. She hoped she could pull Nui back to some semblance of humanity, and quickly. While Nui didn't pretend to be sane, she didn't usually act like this around the rest of the _Seamstresses_. The girl they had been smoking with looked downright terrified, and if she told the others about this, it wouldn't be good for morale. "Nui, clam the fuck down," Maiko hissed. "You're gonna lose us a member." She jerked her head in the direction of the girl, who looked like she was about to bolt.

Nui, heeding Maiko's advice, stopped laughing, and turned to the terrified girl. "Don't worry, snookums, I was only kidding." She winked at her, and stuck out her tongue.

The girl nodded, still looking somewhat shaken, but much less worried. She forced a smile.

"Run along now, pumpkin," Nui said. The girl didn't need to be told twice. She turned and walked as fast as possible in the opposite direction.

Maiko waited until she had vanished from sight to speak. "Nui, why can't we just beat up this transfer student?" Her tone was much more careful this time.  She was worried another bout of crazy might rear it's ugly head.

Fortunately for Maiko, Nui seemed to have gotten all the crazy out of her system. "There's one reason we can't beat her up, Maiko."

"Yeah? And what reason is that?"

"Satsuki."

* * *

 At 3:48, Satsuki was almost ready to head home.

 She'd finished all the paperwork she needed to for the day, as well as her homework for her college classes. She was just about to start packing up when Mr. Mikisugi shuffled in, looking bored as always.

"Satsuki, sorry to bother you," he drawled. "But I need the club budget report for this month."

Satsuki rolled her eyes. "I gave that to you nearly a week ago, Mr. Mikisugi. You needn't concoct an excuse to come and talk to me."

"Ah." He looked at the ground sheepishly. "You see right through me, Satsuki."

"So, I presume that you are here to discuss Miss Matoi's outburst?"

"Well, yes, but I actually do need the budget report. I have no idea where it went." He looked even more sheepish. "Maybe you could give me another copy?"

"Perhaps it would be best to email it to you, in case you misplace it again." _Which, quite frankly, seems likely._ She opened her laptop, firing up Gmail. "Now, about Miss Matoi."

"Yes, well, don't you think you ought to be a little concerned about her? She did yell about Nui being a bitch."  Apparently, Matoi had expected to get away with yelling that because Nui wasn't there to hear it. Which he found pretty absurd. Didn't she know that rumors spread like wildfire?

"Don't you think you ought to be a little less concerned with high school drama, Mr. Mikisugi?"

"I'm more worried about a fight brewing than high school drama. If Nui were to put Matoi in the hospital, then..." He sighed dramatically. "Just imagine the amount of paperwork I'd have to fill out."

"It's good to know you care so much about the health and well-being of your students."

"Look, Satsuki, I know you say that you and Nui have a 'unspoken agreement' or whatever, but I don't trust her not to go berserk on a dime."

"She will not 'go berserk on a dime.' She isn't a complete fool." Satsuki shut her laptop, focusing intently on the space in front of her, the cogs in her head spinning. "She's well aware that I will not tolerate needless violence at this school, and I am well aware that she will not obey the rules of Honnouji Academy. Hence our agreement. She is allowed to break rules with minimal consequences, and my student body stays safe. It's a win-win."

Aikuro groaned internally. "Yes, yes, and if she breaks that agreement, then you have some dirt on her, thanks to Inumuta." He'd heard this speech a thousand times. "But what about Mr. Harime? He's probably rich enough to get her out of whatever you get her in to."

"That would be a lot of trouble for both of them. It's simpler for Nui to avoid fighting."

"You know what would be even simpler?" Aikuro knew he was treading into dangerous territory, but he hardly cared. "If you would call your mom, and ask her to use her billions of dollars to get Nui kicked out."

Satsuki's eyes narrowed angrily, and Aikuro got the distinct feeling that he had just fucked up. "Mr. Mikisugi?"

"Eh...Yes?"

Satsuki stood up, for no purpose other than to make a point. "I will not use the Kiryuuin name, nor the Kiryuuin fortune to accomplish what I set out to accomplish, whatever that may be. Until the day I rise to take control over Revocs, I will rely on nothing but my own power." If looks could kill, Aikuro would be dead. "We've spoken about this many times before. Question me again, _Aikuro_ , and you may find yourself searching for a new employment."

"Good grief, Satsuki, why so serious?" He scratched the back of his head apathetically. "Alright, I won't bring it up again."

"Good." She sat back down. "If there was nothing else, you may leave. And don't mention my last name in passing."

"Yeah, yeah, I got it." Aikuro turned to leave, but stopped. "Actually, can I ask you a couple things? Without risking my job, that is."

"You may."

"Ok, first thing: what about Nui challenging Ryuuko? That's allowed by school rules, you know."

"Good question. There are 2 reasons why Nui will not do that. She would be challenging Matoi, so Matoi would get to choose the contest. That would put things out of her control, and she wouldn't stand for that. She would also have to play by our rules, which wouldn't allow her to put Matoi in the hospital. So even if she won, it would be an wholly unsatisfying victory for her."

"Hmm." _I suppose that makes sense._ "Alright, second thing: why are you okay with using your mother's money to rent an apartment and pay for food and stuff?"

Satsuki looked at him like he was an idiot. "I believe it is customary for parents to cover their children's living expenses. You would feed and house your own children, would you not?"

"I see what you mean." He turned to leave, this time for real. "Well, I guess I'll be going. Good luck with Matoi." He shuffled out the door.

Once he was gone, Satsuki allowed herself to relax a little, leaning back in her chair. In all honesty, she was a little worried about Ryuuko as well. But for a different reason. She had noticed, while observing Ryuuko during their brief meeting, that their was something about her. Something that she couldn't put her finger on. Some strange, unknown quality. And unknown was synonymous with dangerous. So she had to figure it out, and soon.

Because it was really bugging her.

* * *

"RYUUUUUKO!"

"Oof!" Ryuuko struggled to maintain her balance, taking the full brunt of a tackle/hug from Mako as she walked into school the next day.

"I'm super excited to see you!"

"I can see that." Ryuuko attempted to disengage herself from Mako's vice grip, but was largely unsuccessful. "Are you always gonna greet me like this?"

"Yep," Mako replied cheerfully. "Well, I'll try to, anyway."

"You really don't have to."

"But I want to! Anyway, are you ready for 1st period?" Mako seemed positively ecstatic. "I can't wait for you to meet my other 4 teachers!"

"Right, yeah, I'm excited too," Ryuuko said, a bit halfheartedly. She wasn't really excited about school, but she wanted to try and make Mako happy. "Should we go now, or what?"

"Yeah, let's go. Follow me!" Despite Mako's words, Ryuuko didn't as much follow her as get dragged by her.

By the end of 4th period, it was clear that Ryuuko had been right not to be excited. Her 5th and 6th period teachers had both been cool, which had lulled her into a false sense of security. She had been hoping that the rest of her teachers would be decent people, but that wasn't the case. Mako's drama teacher was a total prude, completely lacking any sort of understanding of what teenagers were like. Her English teacher was "deep," and constantly whined about how life was ultimately meaningless. And her Spanish teacher was just a straight up, grade-A asshole. The only ray of hope was that her science teacher was really nice. Probably one of the best teachers she'd ever met.

In any case, by the time lunch rolled around, Ryuuko was pretty burned out. At least lunch was better today. It was a chicken burger with spicy sauce, and some french fires, plus the usual vegetables and milk. Not too bad, considering yesterday, but it didn't stop Mako from reprimanding her for not bringing food from home.

"You're a growing girl, Ryuuko. You need better nutrition!" They were walking to the same stone bench that they had sat on the other day. "You need to ask your mom to make you lunch, okay? Or you can have your dad make you lunch. Or you can make your own lunch. But you should bring a healthier lunch!"

None of those options seemed very likely to Ryuuko. "Yeah, yeah, I'll see if I get around to asking them." She knew she couldn't keep Mako from learning the truth about her family life forever. She was bound to find out eventually, but Ryuuko was trying to delay that as much as possible. She was pretty sure Mako wouldn't want to be friends with someone whose mother was dead, and whose dad was an alcoholic.

They were just a few feet from the bench when Ryuuko was struck from behind. She stumbled forward, barely maintaining her balance. The chicken burger wasn't as lucky. The tray flew from her hands, scattering fries and spinach all over ground. She whipped around.

"Who the hell-"

"What?" Standing behind her was a diminutive teenager with a buzz cut. "You gonna get all mad over some spilled milk?" He gave her a cocky look, like he thought he was the king of the world or something.

"Seriously? That's the first thing that comes out of your mouth?" _What the hell is this guy's problem?_ "Did you do that on purpose, kid?"

"No. What a dumb question." He rolled his eyes. "Why would I want to knock your stupid lunch out of your stupid hands? Maybe you should hold on better next time."

"Oh, okay! So there's no reason for any trouble!" Mako seemed perfectly accepting of his explanation, and completely ready to forgive him.  "I guess it was just an accident, huh Ryuuko?"

Ryuuko considered for a moment. "Yeah. An accident. Usually, you apologize after an accident, though." She looked expectantly at him. "Well? You gonna apologize, kid?"

"So you're demanding an apology now? News flash: you aren't entitled to one."

"Seriously? Who do you think you are, kid?"

"Okay, 2 things. First, quit calling me 'kid', or I'll punch your lights out. Second, my name is Takaharu Fukuroda." He stared Ryuuko down. "And don't forget it."

 _Jeez, what's matter with the people at this school?_ "All I'm asking for is an apology. It's not a big deal. And my name's Ryuuko Matoi, if you're interested."

"I don't care what your name is, and I'm not apologizing, either." His expression was disgustingly smug. "What are you gonna do about it?"

"I mean, I don't want to fight you, man." Well, that wasn't actually true. She did want to fight him, but she didn't want to get in trouble. Not on her second day, anyway. Besides, it wasn't really worth it.

"Pussy."

"Watch your mouth, dickhead!" Ryuuko clenched her fists angrily. "I'm not a pussy, I just don't wanna get in trouble, alright?"

"Get in trouble? Are you new here or something?"

"It's her second day here, actually," Mako supplied cheerfully. "She doesn't know anything about settling disputes yet."

"Setting disputes?" Ryuuko looked to Mako. "What do you mean?"

"Oh, it's really neat! If you and another student have a disagreement, then you can settle it with a contest." Mako smiled brightly. "Pretty cool, huh?"

Ryuuko was dumbfounded. "So you're telling me that the school encourages students to fight in order to work out their problems?"

"Well, not exactly. Any type of contest is fair game. Like chess, or tennis, or computer programing. The type of contest is decided by the person being challenged."

"Why?" It seemed absolutely insane to Ryuuko. What kind of school was this?

"Satsuki says that 'it increases interest in extracurricular activities' and that 'it allows students a healthy outlet for anger,'" Mako said, doing surprisingly good impersonation of Satsuki.

"Hate to interrupt, new kid, but are you challenging me or not?" Takaharu was still standing there, looking smug as ever. "I don't have all day."

Ryuuko sized him up. He didn't look that tough. Although she'd sooner avoid trouble than charge straight towards it, this guy was a total asshole. She couldn't just let this slide. "Alright, fine. I'll challenge you. What's the contest, then?"

"A boxing match."

"Fine. How do we do this?"

"We go and speak with the head of athletics, because boxing's an athletic thing. Come on." He began walking towards the school. Ryuuko moved to go after him, but was stopped by Mako's hand grabbing her sleeve.

"Wait, Ryuuko. Don't go!"

Goddammit. There went her friendship with Mako. She certainly wouldn't want to hang around someone that got into fights on their second day of school. "I'm going, Mako." She pulled away and continued walking. _Friends are overrated, anyway._

"Please take some of my lunch first!"

Ryuuko stopped dead in her tracks. "Huh?"

"You need the nutrition. I'm not gonna let my best friend go through lunch without eating something!"

 _Best friend?_ "Mako, you don't have to-"

"Here!" Mako thrust her hand into her lunchbox, pulling out a generous helping of croquettes. She handed them to Ryuuko. "Take these. I won't take no for an answer!"

"I-"

"Are you coming or not, new kid?"

"I gotta go, Mako. Hey..."

"Yeah?"

"...Thanks." Ryuuko turned, and followed Takaharu as he walked towards the school.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter took approximately 12 eons to create. At least it's a long boi. Finals were a pain in the neck, but now they're all finished. So the next chapter will probably happen a lot quicker, depending on how lazy I am.


End file.
